This morning I signed on as usual...  checking my Facebook Wall and opening up my email accounts.

Immediately I noticed several mentions of the passing of Dave Simons, who had become a 'Facebook Friend' back at the end of 2008.

Like many of my Facebook Friends, Dave was a 'regular guy' in corresponding with me even on a limited basis. He was quick to acknowledge mentions I made of him in my blogs and replied as quickly to questions I asked of him.

Dave was a well known artist in the comics and animation fields.  So I thought a lot of his comments and messages to me, and that he would take the time to comment or write.  

Matter of fact, my first mention of Dave in my Blog was back on January 4th, 2009 when I blogged about the fact that Chic Stone would have been 86 years old and posted the cover to Journey Into Mystery (JIM) #72 with the blog.  Dave added his comment on my FB Wall about my post.  Here's the mention from that blog: 

Dave Simons said "I think that issue of JIM was the first Marvel comic I ever read. Bought it coverless at the local store when I was about 7 years old."

A little later in the month I blogged about Dave's attending the NYCC 2009, (New York Comic Con), in a post that mentioned earlier works of Dave's and what he was then currently working on.

I also mentioned in the same post that 'The Dave Simons Appreciation Society' had been recently started on Facebook by Daniel Best for Dave.  Which had been started because Wikipedia had rejected the initial entry for Dave Simons.

Daniel's header for the group page on Facebook started with...  "Since the Wikipedia site wants to believe that Dave Simons is 'not inherently notable' I think it's now the right time to show people how important, and loved, Dave really is. Let's spread some good cheer to our favourite inker of all time!"   That  group can be found at: http://www.facebook.com/posted.php?id=1300067983&share_id=90113658385&post_id=90113658385&comments#/group.php?gid=47188527707&ref=share. 

I of course joined that group, as well as the Facebook Comic Con Artist Table set up by Michael Netzer for Dave at that ongoing virtual comic con.   See the following link for the FBCC Table: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=61183184136&ref=nf#/group.php?gid=61183184136

By the way, Wikipedia later relented and allowed an entry for Dave, which you can see here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Simons, and just look at all Dave was involved in during the years! And to think that they thought an entry for Dave was 'not inherently notable'...

I mentioned Dave attending the NYCC a few more time in blog posts concerning others that were also attending the same con. 

Then I included him in a post about the April 2009 Boston Con:  http://blogs.ebay.com/make_it_so_marketing/entry/Bret-M-Herholz-Appearing-At-The-Boston-Comic-Con-2/_W0QQidZ773804011.

Dave later submitted Sketch Cards for a charity auction that I blogged about here:  http://blogs.ebay.com/make_it_so_marketing/entry/Special-Sketch-Cards-Benefit-Auction-Listings-Endi/_W0QQidZ777784011.  The auction was the 'Comics For Cures' for the American Cancer Society.

All during this time Dave was fighting for his life.  I hadn't known about it earlier, and just a passing mention was made.  However it was more serious than Dave let on to casual friends.  As Daniel Best said last night in his blog, "the cancer was back, with a vengeance and the doctors had given him anywhere from six months to two years to live". 

Yet Dave still made time to help support projects that he thought worthwhile, including the upcoming Inkwell Awards, as seen at this post:  http://blogs.ebay.com/make_it_so_marketing/entry/The-Inkwell-Awards-Are-Returning-For-Their-2nd-Yea/_W0QQidZ807380011.

Stacey Aragon sent me the link to Daniel Best's blog from last night, which was informing his blog readers of Dave's passing, which you can view here:  http://ohdannyboy.blogspot.com/2009/06/dave-simons-1954-2009.html. 

Additionally Stacy is the Co-ordinator of the 'Inherently Notable - An Art & Writing Jam in Appreciation of Dave Simons"   which can be found here:  http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=54828152653&ref=ts.  The event itself started back on March 12th and ends this Friday, June 12, 2009 at 11:55pm.  Please note it in Your Calendar to attend as it is a virtual event and can be attended at any time.

Special Note:  You don't have to travel to see all the entries submitted and the appreciation for Dave Simons! Just go to the link shown above at any time!  

The following description for the above event was written prior to the death of Dave Simons.... "(This) is the second virtual Art and Writing Jam event @ Facebook Comic Con, dedicated to and in appreciation of veteran comics artist DAVE SIMONS. Please help us in honoring Dave Simons, by sketching your rendition of him and/or any of the many characters which he has worked on, or writing about them. Sketches should be accompanied by the tagline "Inherently Notable" where possible".  

My 'Facebook Friendship' with Dave Simons was of short duration, but a rewarding one for me.  I am the better for 'knowing' him even for this short while, although I had enjoyed his works for several years earlier.  Thanks to magic of the FaceBook social network I was able to get to 'know him better', and I for one will miss the opportunity to correspond with him, or see him at Cons closer to our immediate area. 

Dave's works will continue on in print / online in some format for decades to come.  His works will be appreciated by those that first read it when they were published like myself, and by those that will be following us in the future and just finding out about Dave Simons...  Thanks Dave for Your Legacy of Work!

Please Note:  Because of all the links leading to non-eBay pages, and with eBay's policy of not allowing those 'hot' direct links,  this will be another one of our blog posts that will not be found in our eBay formatted Blog. 

This Blog, at http://www.comicbookcollectorsblog.com/ is our main Blog, and you should 'Favorite Place' or 'Bookmark' it for future reference. You may notice that several of the links included in the above paragraphs are directed to our eBay formatted posts, which are easier indexed for retrieval of topics.